How to check a car shipping company's FMCSA record
A five-minute check of a company's USDOT number and operating authority can save you from booking a company that isn't licensed to move your car.
Every company that moves cars between states for pay, or brokers those moves, has to be registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Checking that registration takes a few minutes and is one of the best ways to avoid a bad booking.
Why it matters
When we checked the companies listed on our site against FMCSA records, 733 of 3,947 were no longer licensed to operate: their operating authority had been revoked or had lapsed. Some still had websites and phone numbers. A company can look busy online long after it has stopped being allowed to move cars.
What to look for
- A USDOT number. Ask for it, or find it on the company's website. Every legitimate interstate carrier and broker has one.
- Operating authority that is active. This is the license to operate for hire. It shows as Motor Carrier of Property for carriers and Broker of Property for brokers. The status should be Active, not Inactive, Revoked or Pending.
- A name that matches. The legal name or "doing business as" name on the FMCSA record should match the company you're talking to.
- Insurance on file (for carriers) and a bond or trust (for brokers).
Where to check
FMCSA's registration system is called Motus. You can search any company by USDOT number at motus.dot.gov and open its public page to see its operating authority and status.
On Transport Auto Reviews, every company page with a USDOT number has an FMCSA record (Motus) button that opens it directly. Companies whose authority has ended are marked Out of business on our site.
Red flags
- The company won't give you its USDOT number.
- The number belongs to a different company name.
- Authority is inactive or only pending.
- The "carrier" turns out to be a broker without broker authority.
For more warning signs, see red flags of a car shipping scam.